Ruger #1 rebarrel and rechamber

[b money]

Hello all, I’m about to pick up a ruger number 1 chambered in 20 tactical. I honestly don’t think I want to get into 20 cal. It’s already been rechambered to this and has a composite stock on it so I’m not worried about loosing value or anything. I got it for a really good price so that is why I’m thinking about rechambering it. This will be a fun range gun and possibly a hunting gun if I go out of state(Illinois). I’d like to be able to load it up or down and be able to run cast and jacketed and just really have fun with it. So what caliber would you make it? I was thinking 45-70 I’ve wanted one for years. But was also thinking .223rem as it’s a fun light economical round but I’m open to any suggestions. Thanks!

[zymguy]

youll come across other platforms that will be good with .223 , this one is great fit for 45-70 . I vote 45-70

[Texas by God]

Rechambering will only get you a .204 Ruger, which would be fun.
Reboring by JES, .33caliber on up with lots of choices.
Rebarreling, the sky's the limit with a Ruger #1.
Decisions, decisions!

Sent from my SM-A716U using Tapatalk

[megasupermagnum]

I know if I could get a Ruger #1 in any caliber in the world, it would be the 9.3x74R. But you can buy them already chambered for that, so a reboring might not be the best thing ever. I know nothing of the 20 tactical, never heard of it. For all I know it is valuable.

[smithnframe]

I saw one recently at a gun show that was re-barreled to 600 Nitro Express!

[ohen cepel]

I am not into the .20 Tac, know almost nothing about it. However, I would shoot it some as it is if you have ammo for it. If it is an amazing one-hole rifle I may leave it alone.

45-70 or 30-06 would be my votes after that.

[John Taylor]

I have re-barreled many #1s and #3s. The books says you can load a 45-70 up to almost match a 458 mag but your shoulder will not like it. The largest I have done is 577 Nitro but I would not shoot it. At the time it was $34.50 for one round of ammo. It's a bit scary when you can see brass over the top of the breach block. I did one in 450 Nitro with a 30" bull barrel and though it would be safe to shoot, my shoulder hurt for a month after. I like the looks with an octagon barrel and found that they will sell quickly at a gun show.
As for what to chamber it in, 45-70 is fun and ammo can be found easy. The least expensive to shoot is the 22 LR and the recoil can be handled by almost anyone. The action does not need to be altered but the chamber end of the barrel is offset so the firing pin hits the rim. It's a little fun to do, I think the last one I did had the chamber at 12 o'clock. Rear sight has to be a bit higher. I guess it comes down to what you like to shoot and what it's going to be used for. The #1 will handle most calibers that are common but it is known for recoil with the bigger ones. I think I have a 45-70 ( #3 )and a 458 mag take off barrel if you would like to try.

[daved63]

I had a No. 1 rebarreled to 500 S&W. It is a fun gun to shoot and is great for cast boolits! I started with a No. 1H in 458 Win Mag, so I was able to reuse the sights and barrel band on the new barrel. There is a thread I posted here:
https://castboolits.gunloads.com/sho...p-W-Ruger-No-1

The possibilities are endless with the No. 1, the 45-70 is a good fit for it, the 444 Marlin would also be worthwhile. I passed up one that had been rebarreled to 444 Marlin at a local gun shop several years ago and have regretted not picking it up ever since.

[gwpercle]

For a Ruger #1 .... 45-70 is probably the most practical but some other interesting ideas :

38-55 Winchester
40-65 Winchester
40-70 Sharps Straight
405 Winchester ( Teddy Roosevelt's lion medicne )
30-40 Krag
303 British

Anything old and with a rim would be fun .
Gary

[brass410]

Love my #1 stainless in 45-70 its a "***** cat" with 300grns its an "enraged donkey" with 500grn at max, law of jungle applies.

[country gent]

The number 1s and most single shots are nice for this since they arent controlled by cartridge length like a repeater is. Just the head dia and what etractors can be made or are available.

45-70 would be fun and a handy rifle for most big game hunting.
38-55 would be the same and use less powder and lead, also lighter recoil
38-56 to be different brass would need to be made but it could be a lot of fun
any of the 40 cals again would be useful
32 - 40 in the tradition of the shutzen rifles would be a fun build
30-30 Might sound a little lame at first but as a deer rifle and cast bullet shooter would be interesting.

In the end there are a lot of factory calibers and wildcatts out there that an be used, in the end the decision is yours

[todd9.3x57]

isn't the 20 tac a re-work or just a necked down 223 rem case?

i have a tc encore with a 23" MGM barrel in 20 vartarg(necked down 221 rem fireball case). using careful handloads, it will go .1 - .2" at 100 yards(5 or 10 shots, bench). using sloppy reloads, it will do 1/2 - 3/4" at 100 yards. its a good little cartridge that doesn't require much powder to go 3600fps+.

fire forming at 200 yards with sloppy reloads


20 vt

[Mk42gunner]

If I were to rebarrel a No.1 or No.3, it would not be to any caliber that Ruger commonly chambered these rifles for.

If you enjoy recoil, go for something big. If not, try something that is easy to shoot.

If you go for a wildcat or an old more or less forgotten round, the cost of dies may be high.

With all that drivel written, I have always liked the idea of John Wooter's .25 Copperhead, basically a .25-.222 Remington. It would fit your existing extractor. But then I have always liked oddball cartridges.

Bottom line is: it is your rifle, you are the one that has to be happy with it.

Robert

[Shanghai Jack]

Well - I agree with everyone above. I like weird ones though. I have number ones in 32-40, 38-55, 40-65, 219 Donaldson Wasp, 30 Badger, 9.3 x 74R and 45-70. The 30 Badger is a hoot using less than 2 grains of powder per shot. The 9.3x74 is in reserve - saving it for 18-wheeler season. The 32-40 are all set up for breach-seating. Overall I have the most fun with the 32-40, the best accuracy with the 38-55, and the most flexibility with the 40-65. If I were starting over, I'd probably go with the 40-65 first. If reloading is an issue, then I'd go with the 45-70. Compared with some of the big 45's, the 45-70 is pleasurable to shoot.

[rockrat]

You might be able to send it to JES and have it re-bored and rechambered to 357Maximum or 38-55

[tarbe]

Another vote for 45-70.

I bought my first No 1 in 45-70 in 1974. Bought another around 2010.

My only 45-70 right now is a Shiloh Sharps Creedmoor Silhouette.

I have two No 1 rifles currently - 300 and 375 H&H. If I didn't love those two so much, I'd consider re-barreling one of them to 45-70!

[Jack Stanley]

I found a good price on a number one chambered in .270 Win. some time ago . Had the barrel replaced with a Green mountain thirty caliber barrel and had it chambered for the .30 Badger cartridge . It's an inexpensive plinker for me and lots of fun .

If your state allows the short straight wall cartridges I'd vote for the .357 maximum like Rockrat suggested . Though you probably could make the 350 legend work . A lot of deer are meeting an untimely end around here because of that .350 and I'm certain the maximum would do as well .

If you got the 45-70 itch ...... there's few other things that will scratch it .

Jack

[Jedman]

This thread got me to �� thinking, if I had a blank canvas like a no. 1 what would I like it to be chambered in ?
I really don’t know?????
Sorry I am no help.

Jedman

[MostlyLeverGuns]

I would play with the 20 Tactical before you change it. It uses .223 brass with simple case forming technique. Might be tricky to cast and finding making gas checks, but should be fun with jacketed, almost no recoil, better than .204 Ruger because brass is much more common. MidwayUSA lists the dies.

[pertnear]

I had my Ruger #3 barreled to a 6.8mm SPC. Great gun & cartridge for deer.

If you want common brass, fun plinking & suitable for cast bullets why not the .30-30. A rimmed cartridge is a natural fit for a single shot rifle.